Stanislaus County garbage burner stops receiving waste from cities. Demolition is next
The Crows Landing garbage-burning plant stopped receiving wastes from Stanislaus County and its cities early this month, a county official said.
Robert Kostlivy, county environmental resources director, said a contract with Reworld Waste (formerly Covanta) ended at 11:59 p.m. Dec. 2, concluding 36 years of waste-to-energy disposal for the county.
The New Jersey-based company notifed the county and Modesto a year ago that the plant’s heavy financial losses could force early termination of their agreement, which was set to expire in 2027.
The decades-old plant, which burned garbage to generate electricity, became a victim of rising maintenance costs and California’s strict regulatory environment. Options for repurposing the plant for biofuel production or other profit-making ventures were considered, but the county and cities decided in November to sever ties with the last remaining garbage incinerator in the state.
Haulers are now delivering tons of household garbage to the adjacent Fink Road Landfill, near Interstate 5. The end of incineration and new reliance on landfills is expected to shorten the life of the Fink landfill to 2040, which gives the county 15 years to get state approval for more space.
Kostlivy said by email this week that the garbage burner is still processing some wastes that were delivered to the site before expiration of the contract.
Nicolle Robles, a spokesperson for Reworld, said Thursday that the plant has stopped receiving waste and the company is “starting the process of preparing for demolition.” Reworld is expected to decommission and demolish the facility over the next two years.
The county said there are no changes for customers bringing small, personal loads to the Fink Road landfill. Regular hours for the public are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
The Department of Environmental Resources added more staff and equipment to handle the increase in municipal waste being sent to the landfill. A tipping fee charged at the landfill will become the primary revenue source for covering the costs of operations, administration and giving cities access to the county’s household hazardous waste programs.
The county is working with consultants to set an appropriate fee when a solid waste agreement with the cities expires June 30. The costs of tipping fees usually are passed on to garbage service ratepayers.
The early termination of the contract with Reworld gives the county $1.68 million, along with $3.36 million from dissolution of a resource recovery account. Those funds have helped the county to pay for additional equipment and staffing for the landfill.
A county staff report in November said the waste-to-energy plant greatly reduced the volume of municipal solid wastes, and the plant closure poses new challenges for waste management.
“The county remains dedicated to exploring new opportunities for reducing landfill waste, with a strong focus on adopting cost-effective, efficient and environmentally sustainable waste management solutions,” the report said.
